Never Lie to a Lady (Never (Paperback))

Dark, dangerous and intelligent, of eastern European and English descent, Lord Stefan Nash, is a compelling, complex man who finds himself captivated and involved with the intelligent, independent. businesswoman, Xanthia, who recently arrived in England after nearly 30 years in Barbados. They are both outsiders, citizens of the world with broad views and interests, unable and unwilling to constrict themselves to the provincial world of english society. The time period is the late 1820s, the political atmosphere in Europe in the years after Napolean is unstable at best. I found the time period used an interesting and not often used departure from the norm, the prejudices and perameters of societal situations are the hints, the precursers if you will, of the geo-political and societal changes to come to the British empire and other world nations. Nations are jockeying for positions of political and economic strength. The British empire well in the thick of the machinations, must protect it's interests, and America wants a footing in mix. The worldly, Xanthia and Stefan are thrust into the intrigue of the political and societal undertones, where it leads their relationship, is not a rosy, predictable resolution formula. This book is a well crafted blending of compelling, sultry sensuality, intrigue, and well developed supplementary character storylines. I enjoyed the pacing and the prose. Shortcomings?...IMO not many. The well rounded, strength of character and personality in Stefan and Xanthia along with the developing, rich intimacy and mutual respect in their relationship is more than worthy of 5 stars. I will re-read this book - In short, I recommend it.

I generally read 4-5 books a week - and this is one of the best I've read in the past 6 months! Great characters ... excellent story ... passion, love and suspense. Definitely a keeper.

Carlyle's most recent efforts, while they were quite enjoyable, don't quite pack the punch of earlier books like No True Gentleman or My False Heart, both of which are on my keeper shelf. With Never Lie to A Lady, Carlyle is drinking caffeine again. A strong, beautiful heroine who runs a business and has needs of her own; a libertine English marquess by way of Montenegro who hates the Turks. Two people drawn to each other, a gun-running plot and the search for a spy. Carlyle knows her pre-Victorian London and she draws it almost as well as Barry Eisler does Tokyo in his Rain series. The difference is Carlyle's London hasn't existed for almost 200 years. But you see the Docklands and the Pool, the bustling commerce, the lawns running down to a rural Thames. If you loved Max Rohan and Elliott Armstrong, the Marquess of Nash is cut from the same exciting cloth. And Max and George Kemble are back in this book, partners in crime-fighting yet again. I read this book from cover to cover in one sitting.

This is a delightful, big old chunk of a book that refuses to be hurried. The author is a master of this genre and not for a moment will your reading pleasure be taken for granted. We care greatly for the male/female leads seeing in both of them the pain of the outsider and how their very forward-thinking behavior contrasts with the rest of the stuffy ton. Plus the secondary characters!!! There are enough wily servants, clever Scots, Irish, effeminate "stylists/decorators" and plotting family members to stock a small Shakespeare company. Each one is carefully personalized--individual enough so that we enjoy their character, smile at their interference in the leads' lives and wait for their next "bit o' business". Of course, there are subplots, spy deals, smuggling and all that kind of window dressing but appropriate for the time and the business of international shipping--which our female lead handles with ease and independance. If you need to rush--this book is not for you. But for a lovely vacation or all that time waiting in the orthodontist's office--this gem is perfect.